The Christmas Gala
by A. Lee
Summary: AU fic where Serena Moone and Darien Shields are forced to spend Christmas together. When both are pursued by crime lords (and ladies), they must rely on each other for strength. *Complete*
1. Chapter 1: The Story Begins

Story 9  
  
Serena Moone walked in the door, and collapsed onto her couch. The day had been an exhausting one. She plopped down onto her couch, and flipped on the TV.  
  
"Is everyone ready for Christmas?" the TV announcer asked brightly.  
  
Serena groaned and flipped off the TV again. Christmas meant the Christmas Gala her family insisted on holding each year. Almost on cue, the answering machine automatically played the messages it had recorded during the day.  
  
"Serena! Where are you? Christmas is in a week, and you need to be home to help prepare for the Christmas Gala! As a proper daughter, you should always be willing to help out the family. Instead, you insist on going halfway across the country to Boston and abandon us like …"  
  
Her mother's stern voice filled the silence of the apartment. Serena could almost imagine the frown on her mother's face, and how Sammy must be sniggering nearby at the lecture his sister was getting. On instinct, Serena tuned out her mother's voice. She was startled out of her reverie only by the answering machine cutting off her mother's voice.  
  
She sighed. She had delayed going for as long as possible, but now she would have to go.  
  
"As I was saying before the machine cut me off," her mother's voice continued, surprising her. "A nice young man by the name of Darien is coming, and I want you to be nice to him …"  
  
Serena groaned. Another blind date. As if her overenthusiastic friends weren't enough, her mother had decided to play matchmaker. So far, she had been matched up with Seiya from Japan, Diamond from Paris, Andrew from next door, and a guy who had turned out to be a girl, and one of her good friends.  
  
"Serena. I'm assuming Mom already called you," a baritone voice chuckled. Serena relaxed. Sammy would keep her from the blind date. "First thing I'm obliged to tell you … oops, I mean I want to tell you, is: Darien Shields is a really nice guy. There. Finished the message from Mom … er, me. I would like to tell you that only irresponsible sisters make their brother and other family members decorate for the Christmas Gala while she is off in Boston savoring her last free moments. Sorry, sis, but I can't help you this time. Mom's dead set on this guy. He's rich and handsome and intelligent … and utterly arrogant. I hope you help bring him down a notch or so. I guess that means I'm encouraging this match. Too bad, you've lost a helper." The message ended.  
  
Serena massaged her forehead. If her brother was right, and the guy was a pompous idiot, and he wasn't going to help her escape from her mother's clutches, this was going to be a very long Christmas.  
  
She went to her room. It was nice and neat, completely opposite of the mess it usually was. She had packed last Saturday, convincing herself she was going to drive there. Instead, she had delayed as long as possible. Christmas was in two days, and now she had to catch a plane to get there on time. If she didn't, she would be dead meat. Her mother would probably ground her for life … or at least until she got engaged, got a boyfriend, or "caught" a husband.  
  
Mothers! Serena rolled her eyes. She got her stuff, and looked at her ticket. Her eyes widened. Her plane was leaving in an hour!  
  
Serena Moone walked up the long wind path to her front door. She debated ringing the doorbell. She could either get the lecture over with now, or slip in unnoticed and get yelled at later. It was better to get things over with … nah; she'd get yelled at later.  
  
She slipped through the open door, and picked up her things. As she was about to head upstairs, she bumped into someone. She apologized immediately. "I'm sorry. I was a bit preoccupied."  
  
She looked up into ocean blue eyes that burned into her. He glared. "You should be."  
  
Serena glared back. "You know what? I take back my apologies, you arrogant jerk!"  
  
"Who wants your apology, Meatball Head? It's probably not worth the brains you have," the guy glared.  
  
"Idiot!"  
  
"Slob!"  
  
"Pig!"  
  
"Slug!"  
  
"Insipid swine!"  
  
"Good-for-nothing!"  
  
"Pompous @$$!"  
  
"No need to swear, Meatball Head," he chuckled.  
  
"My name is not Meatball Head!" Serena screeched.  
  
"Then what is it? Hello-I-have-an-IQ-of-0?"  
  
"You really shouldn't go around introducing yourself to the people of the house you're robbing!" Serena finished.  
  
"No, that's not my name, as a matter of fact. I'm a guest here, and you can call me Dare, Meatball Head."  
  
Serena was startled. When had the insulting match turned into an introduction? "I'm Sere, not Meatball Head!" she glared.  
  
"Whatever," Dare rolled his eyes and turned away after adding "Meatball Head" under his breath.  
  
"I HEARD THAT!"  
  
"Serena darling, whoever were you yelling at earlier?" Elaine Moone asked with surprise.  
  
"Some idiot," Serena grumbled. "Named Dare."  
  
Elaine frowned, but didn't say anything. "Now, I'm going to introduce you that charming Mr. Darien Shields I mentioned earlier. He earns an average of a billon dollars a year, you know …" (That's good, right?)  
  
Serena's ears perked up at the words, "Shields and co. Lawyer Firm." "As in the Shields and co. Lawyer Firm? My biggest rival?"  
  
Elaine frowned. "Rival?"  
  
"Yes, mother," Serena sighed. "You do remember that I am President and CEO of Moone and Moone Lawyer firm? And that our biggest rival is the Darien Shields you brought under this roof! Dad will blow!"  
  
"Your father, Kenneth Moone will listen to what I tell him to like a good husband. If I tell him to let this nice Mr. Shields stay under our roof, he will on pain of living on boiled hay for the rest of his life," Elaine said.  
  
"You haven't managed to convince him not to threaten to shoot any prospective boyfriends with a shotgun yet," Serena pointed out.  
  
"Really, Serena," Elaine said. "He only did that the one time five years ago when I was visiting my sick mother."  
  
"But that was Seiya Kou, the hottest rock star from Japan," Serena wailed. "You totally bugged him off, and now we're just friends."  
  
"If you would make an effort, I'm sure you'll be able to catch Mr. Shields as a nice husband."  
  
"He's four years older than me."  
  
"Only twenty-eight, dear."  
  
"He was twice as old as I was when I was four!"  
  
"You're twenty-four now, and getting to be an old maid."  
  
"I will not marry until I feel like it!" With that, Serena stormed out.  
  
Elaine sighed. "What am I going to do with that girl?"  
  
Serena Moone frowned. What was she going to wear to dinner? If she wore something too informal, her mother would send her back upstairs, but wearing something formal seemed out of place.  
  
She bit her lip and sighed. If she wore pants, her mother would kill her, but she didn't feel like wearing a skirt … not in this weather.  
  
She finally settled on a white blouse embroidered with mistletoe and holly, and a red thick skirt with a green belt. Christmassy and formal enough to please her mom without freezing her butt off or looking silly. Her hand drifted to her hair, and she decided to put it up in the old "meatballs" she used to wear. In a spark of Christmas spirit, she tied her buns with red and green ribbons, and smiled.  
  
She carefully chose dressy black boots and added a silver watch, a moonstone necklace, and a pink lacy scarf to give herself the "look" that was she. She bit her lip. Something was missing. She surveyed the room, and her eyes lit on her glasses. She wore them only for reading, but they were Christmas glasses, and look cute with her ensemble. She smiled, and put them on, before smiling. Perfect.  
  
Downstairs, she looked around. Her cousin Mina Aphrodite Venuse was dressed in a white turtleneck, and a Christmas skirt. Her long blonde hair framed a pretty face, and she was beaming. She was escorted by her fiancé, a charming silver-haired man named Kirk.  
  
"Mina!" Serena squealed.  
  
"Serena!" Mina called. Together, they ran over to each other and hugged.  
  
"Where are the others?" Serena asked excitedly.  
  
"There's second-cousin Amy with her boyfriend Zephyr," Mina pointed out.  
  
Amy Hermese was wearing a light blue blouse and dark blue skirt, with a blue scarf to match. She and Zephyr had just come in from outside, because they lived the farthest away, and Amy's cheeks were flushed from the cold.  
  
"There's my half-sister, Lita," Mina pointed.  
  
Lita Zeuse was wearing an emerald green shirt and black flare pants with snowflakes embroidered on them. She was with her husband Nick, and they were talking animatedly.  
  
"There's Aunt Linda's stepdaughter Raye," Mina pointed out. "I don't know why your mom invited her, but she's got great fashion sense."  
  
Raye Aries was wearing a red and green dress, and she was scolding her husband Jared, who was laughing. Raye wasn't strictly family. Her mother had died, and her father had remarried Serena's aunt, so that made her more of a step-cousin. Serena's Aunt Linda was the black sheep of the family, and she was surprised someone from her side was invited at all.  
  
"There's Alex and Michelle and their adopted daughter Hotaru from Japan. She's the cutest," Mina said.  
  
Alex Uranuse and Michelle Poseidoni were not really family. Alex had saved Serena from a mugger once, and she had become friends with her family. Then, she had married Michelle, which Serena's parents had took in stride, and had adopted a little girl from Japan. Hotaru was maybe five, and she wore a dark purple dress and bow and looked altogether darling.  
  
"And there's Aunt Trista, who looks as young as always," Mina finished.  
  
Trista Hadese wasn't family either. She had found Sammy once when he was lost, and she had become a legendary friend of the family. Aunt Trista retained her youthful looks, though she was probably quite old, and no one really questioned it. It had been privately believed by Serena and Sammy when they were younger that Aunt Trista was magic.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sere," Kirk suddenly murmured. "But I need to borrow Mina for a sec." So saying, he whisked her off, and they went to sit down in their places.  
  
Serena glanced around her, before grimacing. Her mother had arranged the seating. Of course, all couples (husbands and fiancées) were arranged together. People that were "going out" sat together in pairs as well, if they specially requested it from her mother.  
  
Of course, being in charge of seating allowed her to manipulate Serena's seating. She was, of course, going to sit next to the almighty Mr. Darien Shields, thanks to the manipulating of her mother. She made a face and grimaced. For the next couple of days, there would be event after event, and her mother organized all of them, allowing her to force Serena to sit with Mr. Shields the whole time.  
  
~Oh well~ Serena thought mentally. ~I better get to know him. If I know my mom half as well as I think I do, I'm going to spending a LOT of time in his company~  
  
She scanned the room with a trained eyes, searching for her spot. Her mother insisted on holding these events each and every year. By now, almost all of the relatives had worked out an arrangement with Mrs. Moone.  
  
Most of the relatives had some trademark that Mrs. Moone placed next to the placeholders. Thus, they would only have to sweep the room with a trained eye, and would be able to find their seat easily. It was simpler this way.  
  
Serena found the little pink bunny that she had had since she was 7 very easily. She swept over to her seat and sat down. Opposite her, the placeholder read "Darien Shields" and she almost groaned. She tossed a look at his trademark, and was curious to see a red rose. ~He must be romantic, requesting a red rose as a marker~  
  
She sat down, self-consciously smoothing her dress. When she looked up, someone was already inhabiting the seat across from her. She had enough time for her shock to register before he looked up from his laptop.  
  
"You!" she hissed.  
  
"Dare", aka Darien Shields was the first to recover. "Hello, Meatball Head."  
  
"My name is not Meatball Head for the fifteen thousandth time!" Serena shrieked, her voice raised several octaves.  
  
All sound in the room ended, everyone staring at Serena, shocked.  
  
"Whatever you say, Meatball Head," Darien responded smoothly, emphasizing the name.  
  
"It's Se-re-na, not Meatball Head," Serena glared, her voice laced with venom.  
  
"Meat-ball-Head," Darien responded coolly.  
  
"Arrogant jerk," Serena glared.  
  
"Ignorant peasant," Darien said without flinching.  
  
"Insipid swine."  
  
The shouting match from earlier was recreated, as their voices grew higher and higher. The spectators watched with mild interest, into Mrs. Moone entered the room, wondering what the noise was.  
  
"Serena Moone! I thought I taught you to have better manner," Elaine scolded.  
  
Serena glared at Darien. "You are a contemptible worm, and you shall be sure that I won't forget this," she hissed under her breath so only he could hear.  
  
Darien smiled bleakly at her. "Whatever you say, Meatball Head," he said, so just she could hear.  
  
"I apologize for my uncalled-for insults," Serena said pleasantly. Under her breath, she added, "I really shouldn't have insulted the pigs and worms."  
  
"And I apologize for thinking up such a degrading nickname," Darien said sincerely, adding, "I should have come up with a worse one."  
  
The tension was not relieved, and Elaine was aware of this, so she sent for the food.  
  
During the entire meal, Serena and Darien glared at each other, both only touching small portions of their food. Elaine, who had been walking around, inquiring about people's health, their marriages, their children, their parents, the food, etc, came to the table, only to be chagrined by the fact that barely any of the food was touched.  
  
"Is the food not up to your normal standards?" Elaine Moone inquired pleasantly, her eyes narrowed. Her daughter, at least, never ~normally~ refused food.  
  
"I already ate," Serena claimed.  
  
"I don't eat much," Darien said at the same time.  
  
"It seems you two are the only ones with small appetites," Elaine observed, eyes traveling around the empty plates around the room.  
  
"Have it sent up to my room and I'll eat it later," Serena said. "You know how my stomach is. Once the food I ate wears off, I'll be hungry as a tiger."  
  
Elaine pursed her lips, and eyed the two suspiciously. "Alright, I suppose." She suddenly clapped her hands. "Dinner is over," she said in her no-nonsense tone. "Now, the dancing begins."  
  
Serena winced. Every year, her father would fix a pair of crystals over one certain table, and the couple at that table had to lead the dance. Unfortunately, her mother usually influenced her father in the placing of the crystals, and if she was in a matchmaking mood, she would violate tradition, and order her father to place it over her table.  
  
She held her breath.  
  
"The copper crystals go to … Molly and Melvin," Elaine announced. "They lead the third dance."  
  
Everyone could see the normal looking crystals, with a three hanging from them hanging over Molly and Melvin's table.  
  
"The silver crystals go to … Mina and Kirk," Elaine announced. "They will lead the second dance."  
  
Everyone saw the crystals with a two hanging from then hanging over a delighted Mina and Kirk's table.  
  
"And the golden crystals go to … Serena and Darien," Elaine announced, just a shade too smugly. "They will lead the first dance."  
  
Everyone turned to see the furious couple look up and gulp at the crystals with the one hanging over them that they happened not to notice in the midst of their arguing.  
  
Serena glared at her mother, who only smiled innocently and shrugged.  
  
As hired caterers cleared the tables away, Michelle and Alex approached the stage. Michelle was a professional violinist, and Alex was a professional pianist. Together, they played beautiful music.  
  
As they began, a haunting melody filled the air. Serena was immediately captivated by it. It seemed so familiar. An image of a prince and a princess dancing filled her mind.  
  
As she accepted Darien's hand, she began to dance. Now, Serena wasn't the most graceful person on the world, but her mother had forced her to taking dancing class over and over until she passed, so she was a pro at any type of dancing, though she especially enjoyed ballroom dancing. She had found this a useful skill to have in the years to come at all of the dances and such that her mother held.  
  
Darien smiled down at Serena. For all she was annoying and irritating, she was still very sweet. Currently, her eyes were closed, and a blissful smile was on her face. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going at all, and he had to be most careful when he guided her, however she was a very good dancer.  
  
But soon, the dance was over, and they were back to scowling at each other again. However, before they departed that night, they each were in deep thought. Did they … no longer hate each other? Possibly even like each other? Or … the forbidden word … love?  
  
A/N: Should I continue or leave you all hanging? 


	2. Chapter 2: The Plot is Woven

Story 9 – Chapter 2  
  
Serena woke up, sleepy, and stretched. She shook her head and remembered where she was. After the dance last night, she had gone back to her room. Although she had only had the teeniest bit of wine, she knew from experience that even that bit would make her tipsy. She had fallen asleep immediately, after convincing herself that drinking anymore would not be a good idea.  
  
It wasn't that she liked wine. It was more that whenever she saw it, she just couldn't resist a sip, because she knew she looked very adult when doing it. All she needed to do was remind herself of her eighteenth birthday party, however, when she had the slightest bit of champagne, and totally embarrassed herself, and she would refrain from drinking more.  
  
She made a face. Sometimes, she really regretted not having a high alcohol sustenance level.  
  
She donned a simple blouse and black pants, convincing herself that it wasn't too casual, and it wouldn't make her mother mad. She looked for the familiar note under the door. Her mother always sent these schedules around, and though some of the activities were quite fun, she knew that she had better be careful, because she'd probably be paired with Darien each and every time.  
  
She looked at her schedule.  
  
December 21st Itinerary:  
  
The only thing you have to do today, Serena, is help put up the decorations for the BIG ball with Sammy. None of the events are today.  
  
Serena breathed a sigh of relief. That meant she was spared from social events and enduring Darien-the-jerk for a while, anyways.  
  
Serena made a face. She should have been out Christmas shopping, but instead, she was putting up decorations. Suddenly, the ladder she was standing on teetered. Her heart froze. She had just enough time to see Sammy's shocked face before slowly, frozen in time, her ladder tilted backwards. Abruptly, it stopped. Too frightened to look down, Serena didn't move a bit. Slowly, steadily, her ladder moved back into place. As soon as she was sure it wouldn't slant over again, she scrambled off.  
  
As she got off, she turned to see Darien. It was obvious that he had just righted the ladder. She was about to thank him, but the world suddenly swayed around her. She steadied herself against the wall, before speaking. "Thank you," she said breathlessly. She shivered, thinking of what would have happened had he not been there.  
  
"It was nothing," he said. He watched her intently. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, obviously worried for her.  
  
"I'm fine," she said. "I just need to calm down."  
  
"Hey, sis!" Sammy called out. "That was some near-death experience. Y'all right? Man, that was quick thinking, Dare. Sure you're not going to faint or anything, sis?"  
  
"I'm sure," Serena snapped irritably. "I just need some rest," she said, yawning.  
  
"How much sleep did you get last night?" Sammy asked, whistling.  
  
"Well," Serena paused. "I left the ball after the first dance, around midnight …" she paused. "That dance was very long, wasn't it?" she asked, suspiciously.  
  
Sammy stared at his sister. "Actually," he said, "You and Darien didn't stop dancing until, like, the fifteenth LONG dance, when Michelle and Alex stopped classical and played tango."  
  
Serena stared at Sammy. "You're kidding, right?"  
  
Even Darien looked surprised.  
  
Sammy shook his head. "You must have been spaced out. What were you thinking about?"  
  
Serena glanced at Sammy. "What else? How to not embarrass myself in front of everyone."  
  
Darien smiled. "Really? You seemed like a natural … which is a surprise considering your klutziness."  
  
"I am not clumsy," Serena said hotly. She glared at him.  
  
"I'm sure you're not," Darien said in a condescending tone.  
  
"Don't patronize me!" Serena glared.  
  
"Fine," Darien shrugged. "You are the clumsiest oaf I've ever seen."  
  
Serena glared. She whirled around to glare again at her brother, who was laughing. She looked at the two most annoying men in the world, and threw up her hands. "Idiots! Can't live with them, can't get a good price for them at the garage sale."  
  
"Are you implying that I'm an idiot?" Sammy declared.  
  
"Of course not, brother," Serena said sweetly.  
  
"Who's the one with the PhD in Medicinal Biology?" Sammy challenged. (Is there such a thing as Medicinal Biology?)  
  
"I've got a Masters in Law and a Bachelors in Psychology. I also minored in Music and Literature," Serena pointed out.  
  
"I've got a PhD in Medicine, a Masters in Law, and I minored in Biology and Archaeology, so I overrule both of you," Darien declared.  
  
"Excuse me?" Serena asked. "A PhD AND a Masters?"  
  
Darien shrugged. "After completing med school, I decided I didn't want to be a doctor, and since most people my age had just finished their first couple of years of college, I decided to major in Law."  
  
Serena scowled. "That reminds me. The last case your Firm did was a low blow. I can't believe you wont the jury over with that!"  
  
"Hey, the ends justifies the means," Darien said. "I won the case, and I did everything in my power to make sure I didn't lose."  
  
Serena's eyes flashed. "I'll see how well your firm does against the Beryl case?"  
  
Darien smirked. "Oh, I'm sure whoever you send will try their best, but I feel obliged to warn you that I ~am~ representing Beryl."  
  
Serena smirked. "Well, my father is representing Demando. We'll see what happens when the swords clash."  
  
***  
  
Beryl casually filed her maroon fingernails. She glanced outside the window. ~I wonder when that hot Darien guy is coming. I'm glad I at least have someone *cute* representing my case~ She made a face.  
  
If it weren't for that stupid Demando, I'd still be making tons of money.  
  
Beryl and Demando were the hugest rivals there ever was. Demando was the current head of the Mafia, and he hated business competitors. Then, Beryl had moved into town. She had started a ring of women who sold themselves on the streets. Then, she had purposely extracted 90% of all their money and spent it on luxuries for herself.  
  
In reality, they weren't much better off with her than they were on the streets, but now they had insurance. If a customer did not pay, or if that customer was amiss in his affections and broke a rule, the customer was found at the bottom of a river, all of his money mysteriously disappeared.  
  
Demando's brother Saffir had not paid his woman, Cooan. Cooan had, of course, reported this to Beryl sullenly, because she really wanted her money. A simple twist of the strings, and Saffir was no longer alive. Furious, Demando had sent his top henchman … er, henchwoman, Esmeraude on the case.  
  
Esmeraude, the low-lying, two-timing b**** had pretended to want to join Beryl's personal crime ring. She had found out that Beryl's ring had extended, and now covered most of New England. It was composed of many thieves, assassins, and lots of spies in the Mafia. Esmeraude, the double agent, barely managed to report to Demando about this before she was found out and killed by Beryl.  
  
Furious, Demando had sent his worse after her. It hadn't worked. So instead, he was working up a legal fury. Of course, the lawyers knew about all of the tiny details, but no one really cared. Demando was convicting Beryl of Murder of the First Degree for having murdered Saffir and Esmeraude.  
  
Beryl puffed a ring of smoke on her cigarette. It was too bad she was going to have to kill this Darien guy after he was finished defending her. It would be too bad to have someone who knew so many of her secrets. She felt no guilt, whatsoever. She only felt curiosity at how Demando planned to kill his lawyer, an old dude with tons of money, a large family, and very skilled relatives who would hunt through h*** and high water to find the murderer. She, herself, had been smarter.  
  
Her lawyer, Darien, was an orphan. His parents had died when he was 6, and after inheriting money from them, he spent his life with his grandfather, who had died a couple of years ago. He had no relatives … only co-owners of his company who wouldn't question his death and bit and would, in fact, eagerly grab on to the remains of his company.  
  
She smirked. It didn't matter whether she won or not … Demando and she would make it up soon. They would join their crime rings, and soon become RULERS OF THE WORLD!  
  
  
  
A/N: Hehehe. Anyone else sensing some of the insanity that sent the real Demando and Beryl over the edge? And as for why I used Demando … I felt like it, and I think it sounds cooler to have a Mafia guy called Demando instead of Diamond. So, I've added intrigue, mystery, drama … it's no longer ~just~ a sappy romance. 


	3. Chapter 3: The Cliche Moon Mysteriousne...

December 22nd Itinerary  
  
Serena, dear, you get to help with dinner today. That's all.  
  
Serena lit up with a hopeful smile. Maybe her mother would give up on the special activities. Hopefully. And then she groaned. The kitchen? With her in it, everyone would probably die of food poisoning.  
  
"Mina," she called out as she left her room. "What duty do you have today?"  
  
"Kitchen duty? Why?"  
  
"Same here. Too bad we can't switch. I'm a lawyer. I know what happens when people die after they eat your food . you get sued!"  
  
"Don't worry," Mina reassured. "Lita's got kitchen duty, too. She'll take care of us."  
  
An hour later .  
  
Lita, Amy, Raye, Mina, and Serena stood knee-deep in flour.  
  
Mina and Serena suddenly looked very sheepish. "Sorry," they chorused in identical innocent voices.  
  
Amy shook her head. "I volunteer to make sure these two don't do anything else that results in flour exploding on the floor again. I'm not much good at cooking, myself."  
  
"I've done some," Raye shrugged.  
  
"Then we'll do it together," Lita said. "I . Let's just say I don't trust Serena and Mina with anything else in the kitchen, and I think they're the type to go nosing around anyways."  
  
"Well this certainly isn't fair," Serena complained.  
  
"Yeah. We were just trying to help," Mina pointed out.  
  
"You set the flour on fire," Amy pointed out patiently.  
  
"It was an accident!" Mina protested.  
  
"We didn't know that the stove was turned on," Serena explained. "We just wanted to get the flour at a higher angle to see if we could open the bag. How should we know that it would just blow up?"  
  
"Well," Amy said flatly. "For that, you two get clean-up duty. You shouldn't break anything in that ."  
  
Later .  
  
"I spoke too soon," Amy said, looking at the chaos in the kitchen.  
  
Raye took one look around and groaned. "Oh, no."  
  
Oh no indeed.  
  
Meanwhile .  
  
"Why do ~we~ have to clean out dishes?" Jared addressed the sky.  
  
"Brace yourselves," Kirk warned. "My wife is in there, and the mess will be huge."  
  
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Darien shrugged.  
  
"Fatal last words, man," Zephyr shook his head.  
  
They arrived at the door, and were speechless. Out filed a sheepish Mina and Serena, a ready-to-faint Amy, an exhausted-looking Raye, and a tired Lita. Before she walked away, though Lita turned around. "See how well you do," she said shortly, before dropping the keys to the kitchen into Nick's hand.  
  
"All right, men," Nick said. "You heard the lady. It's time to get to work ."  
  
***  
  
Beryl and Demando smiled at each other.  
  
"So you're offering me the deal now?" Beryl asked. "As in right now?"  
  
"Yes," Demando said. "I have pressing engagements in South America I must attend to. Some drug dealers are getting restless there. I have no time to waste on this pathetic little trial. It's too bad, though. My lawyer had the cutest daughter. A few more days, and I would have charmed her into my bed. She was really cute."  
  
"Don't worry," Beryl smirked. "You can have plenty of fun with one of my girls. I suggest Beruche. Still, we now have two people to get rid of. My lawyer and yours."  
  
"I've done some extensive research," Demando smirked. "My lawyer's holding a party, and your lawyer was invited. Wanna see how much of a party pooper I can be?"  
  
"Mmm," Beryl smiled. "Can I play with you?"  
  
"Sure. What do you feel like using? Bombs, assassins, poison, or the good old-fashioned knife in the gut?" Demando smirked. "I myself prefer the latter. They're so much more original, you can hear the scream of pain, and its so satisfying seeing the looks on their faces."  
  
"I like bombs," Beryl smiled. "Knives are so messy, my fingernails would get all messed up. No, bombs are definitely better. They're so . Boom."  
  
"Then bombs it is," Demando said. "Watch out, Moone and Shields. Your lives are about to wither away, 'cause your time is up. A toast then," he smiled, holding out some champagne. "To our future, and to their . non-future."  
  
Beryl nodded, and held up a glass, watching him pour the champagne in. "To our future and to their future, which will shortly end."  
  
***  
  
December 23rd Itinerary  
  
Noon: Exchange of Secret Santa Gifts  
  
5:00 - Exchange of Secret Santa Letters  
  
9:00 - You better have placed all or most of your Christmas presents under the tree by this time, Serena!  
  
Serena groaned. She flipped her letter over.  
  
Your Secret Santa: Raye (She needs cheering up, the poor girl. Give her something bright.)  
  
Well, this mean major shopping spree until noon. She also had to disguise the gift, and wrap it, and write an anonymous card. She almost groaned. Suddenly she brightened. Surely Mina would feel up to a shopping spree. "Shop 'til you drop shopping sprees" were Mina's specialty.  
  
Later .  
  
Serena smiled. She had found the perfect gift. She couldn't wait to see the look on Raye's face when she opened it. I am so good, she thought to herself. Okay, what do I have? Raye's SS present is here, as well as her Christmas present. I can type up her SS letter later. I've covered Christmas presents for Mina, Lita, Amy, Alex, Michelle, Hotaru, Aunt Trista, Mom, Dad, and Sammy. That should be all.  
  
She was by the last store. Mina had gone off to buy her present. She looked at the gold lettering. ~ROSES FOR ALL OCCASIONS~ She peeked inside, and was delighted to see, not only fresh roses, but all kinds of rose pins and ornaments. She went inside immediately.  
  
Her eyes immediately fell upon the most curious item. It was a dagger, shaped like a rose with an incredibly sharp tip and sharp thorns. Its sheath was meticulously designed, and it was beautiful. Her breath caught as her hand reached to touch it. She was immediately transported to a faraway time and place, and the scent of roses permeated her nose.  
  
A dreamy smile appeared on her face as she decided to take it. Along the way, she snatched a bottle of a too-strong perfume of roses because she didn't want to just buy the rose-dagger. As she placed it on the counter, the cashier, obviously also the owner of the quaint little shop, eyed her carefully. Her somewhat old-fashioned yellow dress and grayish-black hair made her look eccentric. Her blouse bore a tag that said "Hi! My name is Luna."  
  
"You wish to buy this dagger?" Luna asked softly. Her piercing eyes seemed to bore into Serena, to divine all of her deepest secrets.  
  
"Yes," Serena said, surprised and a bit unnerved. Luna reminded her a lot of Aunt Trista, and she was probably just as old. She fidgeted uncomfortably as she waited for Luna to accept her twenty-dollar bill.  
  
Luna paused a delicate few instants, before ringing up the items. "That'll be $10.65," she said gently. Her voice was soft and musical, reminiscent of some long-forgotten time where people where politer to each other, and were happier with their roles in life.  
  
Serena received the receipt and absent-mindedly looked at it. "You forgot to ring up the dagger," she said, startled. She had always been quite honest.  
  
Luna looked into Serena's eyes. Her silvery eyes held Serena's own cerulean eyes for a long while. "Consider it a gift," she finally said, after a long period of silence. "You have use of it."  
  
Serena was confused at the woman's words, but put the dagger in her bag in a dreamy, almost trance-like state. "Good-bye," she said as she walked out of the door, the bells tinkling slightly.  
  
Luna watched Serena's retreating back as a silver-haired man entered the room. He put his arm around her and pecked her on the forehead. "Oh, Artemis," she whispered. "She's all grown up."  
  
"Yes," Artemis said. "She is." He looked down at Luna. "Aren't you proud of her?"  
  
"Yes," Luna nodded. "And . and worried."  
  
Artemis wisely said nothing.  
  
Later, when Serena turned to catch a last glimpse of the almost- mystic shop that had seemed so alluring, she was surprised to see that she couldn't find it. Before she went to meet Mina at Andrew's Café, she checked the map for "Roses For All Occasions" and could not find it. She looked for her receipt and could not find it. Instead, she found her money that she had paid back. All that remained of the shop was the rose-dagger, the too-strong perfume, and her memories. Startled, she forgot about it as she caught sight of Mina, and ran to catch up with her.  
  
A/N: That's all I can think of for now. La, just couldn't resist adding the mystic seeress-Luna thing. 


	4. Chapter 4: Boom!

Serena retired to her room. She had spent a long time sneaking around until she had finally decided it was pointless. She had enlisted Jared's help, and had finally managed to smuggle Raye's "I am the Great Goddess Raye, Bow Before Me" sign and her ruby necklace with a torch-emblem into her room. After making sure that Raye would be able to see the Secret Santa letter and present, she retired back to her own room.  
  
Done!  
  
Serena proudly marched back to her room, only to see the door open. She frowned. She stepped inside and was astonished. The entire room was filled with red roses. Rose petals were scattered on her neatly made bed. Roses piled on her dresser. Bouquets of roses were temporarily fixed to the walls. Garlands of roses were draped about her bed and everywhere.  
  
And the wardrobe door was open. Serena approached the wardrobe (is that what it's called? You know, the tall thing that you hang dresses in?) and gasped. There, hanging in there, was a brand new, soft rose-pink dress. It was specially designed so that her shoulders were bared, her neckline was swooping, but did not show too much, and a soft rose-pink silk shawl accompanied it, to drape about her shoulders.  
  
A note said: Wear this tonight and I'll know that you figured out this was a gift from your Secret Santa and not some disgusting jerk who wants you to think he's romantic.  
  
Serena smiled to herself. The dress itself was stunning. She didn't even have to put it on. She had spied it earlier while window-shopping, and had even got inside to try it on, but it was way too expensive. Her Secret Santa had obviously spent a lot of money on it. She felt the soft, shimmering material between her fingers and sighed with pleasure.  
  
Well, such an important gift definitely deserved an audience, she decided. She would wear it that night like the note requested. She cast about for a suitable necklace to wear with it. She suddenly remembered the string of pearls she got for her eighteenth birthday. They were a light pink in color, and would fit now. She looked through her room and finally unearthed the string of pearls in the case her father had given her.  
  
She glanced down at her watch. There were still a couple of hours before the ball. She had some free time. Immediately, she ran a couple of rooms over, and invited her friends to go to the movies with her. Mina was busy, but Raye, Lita, and Amy were happy to go. The spent 2 hours watching an interesting movie, and headed on back home to prepare for the ball.  
  
Serena went to her room straight away. After a hot shower and a long time spent in front of a blow dryer, she donned the beautiful pink gown. She put on her pearl necklace, and proceeded to do her hair. She put them up in her trademark "meatballs" and draped small garlands of pink roses around them. In between them, an intricately designed silver chain was placed. It draped in front of her bangs, the light, small, silver crescent moon dangling over her forehead. It gave her a rather exotic look.  
  
She examined herself one last time. For a reason unknown to herself, she slipped her rose dagger into one of her meatballs, hiding its sheath, so it looked like an ordinary rose. To cover her sudden bout of foolishness, she sprayed a watered-down version of the too-strong perfume of roses. After she got home, she had put a little water in it to take away some of the smell.  
  
She examined herself one last time, and smiled. Perfect. Although she felt vaguely overdressed, the Pre-Christmas Balls (always held the several nights before Christmas) was very formal. Her mother had almost killed her last time because she hadn't dressed up enough. Almost everyone else, though they had shown up in casual clothes, had changed so as not to be at the brunt of Elaine Moone's temper.  
  
She walked downstairs slowly, aware that some of her friends were still in their rooms, while others were downstairs already. She took a deep breath, and stepped into the room, surveying it quickly for her pink little bunny, and found it immediately. She swept across the room gracefully; thanks to the prose and proper posture lessons her mother had made her take when she was younger.  
  
Darien was there already, and seemed determined to keep the atmosphere pleasant ash e pulled out her chair for her. She thanked him pleasantly. There was an uncomfortable silence as the food began to come on, but soon, they were too busy eating to notice. Serena did notice uncomfortably that Darien seemed to be staring at her pretty often, unaware that she was staring at him, too. They were enjoying the delicious food, when a large BOOM engulfed her senses. Serena had only a moment to look up before the whole world exploded.  
  
When she awoke, it was dark. It took a while for her eyes to adjust.  
  
"You're awake," a ragged voice said.  
  
"Darien?" she asked weakly, finding her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat. "What's going on?"  
  
"I assume a bomb went off. Whatever it is, your whole house came falling down. Luckily, some slabs of stone managed to fall on top of each other. We're in a small air bubble or something of the sort."  
  
"Will the air run out?" Serena asked, panicked now.  
  
"No," Darien reassured her. "We're on the surface somewhat, and there's a couple of cracks letting in air. We just have to wait until rescue squads come, and then we can yell to get their attention."  
  
"Is there no other way out?" Serena asked in a small voice.  
  
"If we push off one of the slabs of stone, the other ones will fall on top of us," Darien said in a grim voice.  
  
Serena tried to calm herself down by breathing deeply, but unfortunately, it wasn't working. "Why would anyone bomb our house?" she murmured, thoughtful. The train of thought was cut off when they heard noises from outside.  
  
"HELP!" both yelled simultaneously. "GET US OUT OF HERE."  
  
There was a silent murmur, before an eerily familiar voice spoke. "Who is it?"  
  
"It's me, Darien Shields, and Serena Moone is with me," Darien shouted.  
  
There was another silent discussion. "Hold on," the voice said. "We'll get you out."  
  
There were grunts, as the slabs of stone slowly began to be lifted off simultaneously. However it also dislodged a lot of dust and dirt, causing them to cough, and cover their face for a while. When a series of clunks signified that the slabs of stone had been removed, both Serena and Darien waved away the dust and looked up into .  
  
. the eyes of Beryl and Demando.  
  
To be continued . 


	5. Chapter 5: Artemis's Angels

All right. As this is one of the few fanfiction people have repeatedly requested, I shall update this next.  
  
"Beryl? What are you doing here?" Darien's confusion was evident.  
  
"Demando?" Serena asked, not believing her eyes. "You told my father you were in South America."  
  
Demando smiled suavely. "I was. Before I decided to blow up your house."  
  
"But . but why?" Serena asked. Gazing around, she saw the devastating wreckage. She saw the limp bodies of her mother, father, and brother, laid side-by-side. She was unable to tell their condition, and bit her lip. Amy, Mina, Raye, and Lita were nowhere to be seen, as were Zephyr and Nick. Jared and Kirk were both visible, evidently bruised, and bleeding profusely in some corner. She surveyed the room, seeing Alex and Michelle still conscious, comforting a distraught Hotaru, who was babbling in Japanese. Aunt Trista was nowhere to be found. Neither was her other friends and family. There were large piles of rubble all around, though. "My friends? Are they ."  
  
Demando shrugged. "They're either dead and out in the pile of bodies they're burning right now, or they're trapped. Either way, they won't live. Either way, you won't live?"  
  
"Why?" Darien repeated Serena's question, but more forcefully.  
  
Beryl smirked. "Why, Darien, dear. You're so smart; I thought you would have figured it out by now. You. Know. Too. Much."  
  
Serena's consternation was evident. "What?"  
  
"Not you," Demando flicked her a glance. "You were in Boston, at that other branch. But your father knew a bit too much to please me."  
  
"And Dary-poo," Beryl cooed. "You should have known better. Even those who help the Mafia wind up dead."  
  
"My parents . are they?" Serena glanced at her family worriedly.  
  
"We had reason to insure that your father was dead," Demando said. "And he most definitely is. Your mother is too, I'm afraid. Poor, poor Serena. So alone in the world. Your brother's still alive. That might comfort you. But he's probably paralyzed for life." Demando's sneer was evident as he gazed disdainfully at the shocked look of horror on Serena's face.  
  
"So you killed everyone because you wanted to keep a secret?" Darien asked, disbelief etched in his voice.  
  
"Yep," Beryl nodded, stretching lazily.  
  
"You b*****s!" Serena spat out.  
  
"Now, now, don't be naughty," Demando said. "I was thinking of shooting you as it's so painless, but now, I think I'll stick a knife in your gut. And twist it. And watch the agonized look of pain on your face. See, you have to twist clockwise. I find that you get more painful results that way."  
  
"Don't go near her," Darien said, standing in front of Serena.  
  
"Oh look," Beryl taunted. "Your knight-in-shining-armor has arrived. Guards! Hold him!"  
  
Darien had taken some self-defense classes when he was younger, but even he couldn't do anything against five muscled, burly bodyguards who moved to intercept his moves.  
  
Demando pulled out a rather sharp, elaborate-looking knife. "This knife has only been used to kill the most beautiful," he explained. "Princess Di. Narincotta. And that Miss Universe a couple of years back. Feel honored."  
  
Serena took one step back, and then seemed to think better of it. She would show no fear. She took a step forward instead, and looked him bravely in the face. He advanced. Her hands reached up to tie her meatballs. First her left one. She did it slowly and deliberately. When her hand left the meatball, her hair spilled onto the left side of her face. She looked up with a martyred expression, and began untying the other one. And yet Demando advanced. He raised his sword to strike and .  
  
To be continued . not!  
  
Serena's hand whipped out, rose dagger in hand. With an expertise that did not belong to her, she calmly slit Demando's throat, and watched as he staggered back, spurting blood. Beryl stepped back, shocked, and the burly bodyguards stepped forward in vain to help their old master.  
  
Seizing his chance, Darien leapt in the air, and promptly proceeded to attempt to take out some of bodyguards. Serena was just staring in shock at the body on the floor. Beryl, meanwhile, advanced.  
  
"Thank you for getting rid of him." Beryl's voice was no longer sugary sweet. "I had been meaning to do that for a while now. And you. I suppose I'll have to kill you." Only the twitch of the eyelid of her left eye betrayed her. She was fast.  
  
But some somehow, Serena was faster. Before long, Beryl, too, lay on the floor beside her ex-co-worker. Serena stared at blankly at the corpses, before beginning to retch.  
  
The problem with organized crime organizations is that there is always some greedy-guts character that is ready to seize the reins of control. In this case, it was a small pipsqueak by the name of Rubeus. Seizing his chance, Rubeus rallied the band of cutthroats, thieves, and murderers. "To me!" he squeaked. "To me! Revenge on the man and the woman!" Utilizing their ex- loyalty to Demando and Beryl, he cleverly seized control.  
  
Darien and Serena backed up, side by side, as an entire mob advanced upon them, side by side.  
  
All of a sudden, three girls leaped into the midst. With a whirl of leather breeches, legs, knives, swords, and guns, the room began to be littered with dead people. Everyone else fled. The three girls turned around to reveal themselves as .  
  
"Raye! Lita! Mina! What are you three doing here?" Serena asked bewilderedly.  
  
"They're Artemis's Angels," a voice said, and Amy stepped out. "I'm one of them, too."  
  
Both Serena and Darien were poleaxed, and completely confused.  
  
"Isn't Artemis the Roman Goddess of the Moon?" Darien asked.  
  
At the same time, Serena cried, "Does that have anything to do with Charlie's Angels?"  
  
Darien would have sweatdropped at this point, but this is an alternate universe fanfiction, and thus does not have sweadrops. Instead, he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Actually," Raye said, "she's not far off the point. This person named Artemis (we don't know if Artemis is a he or a she) calls us and gives us missions. We're more like a tool to help save political crises and get bad guys. The fact that we're all kinda sorta in the same family is just a coincidence. We were Angels before I became your cousin. Or step-cousin. Whatever."  
  
Serena blinked several times. "Okay ." she said finally. "But . how is my family?" This time, her voice was concerned.  
  
Amy sighed. She had been checking the bodies. "Brace yourself, Serena ."  
  
To be continued .  
  
That wasn't too much of a deux ex machina, was it? 


	6. Epilogue: Until Another Era

Yay! I finished it!  
  
Serena huddled against the parapet, shivering in the frigid air. She did not respond when Darien stopped by her side and covered her with his heavy cloak. She stared off into the air, with Darien's warm presence beside her. Her breath came out in tiny clouds of moisture that froze as soon as it touched the air. Her eyes stared bleakly at the remains of what was once her house. "Christmas Eve," she whispered.  
  
"Serena," Darien's voice was gentle. "It's time to come inside. You'll freeze out here."  
  
"It's Christmas Eve, Darien," she said in a curious singsong voice. "Santa Claus is coming tonight. Have you been good? I have. Since I've been very, very good, do you think he'll give me what I want? Huh, Darien? Huh? Do you think he'll give me my parents back?" Her childish voice quavered back into her original voice, and she trembled with exhaustion.  
  
"Serena." Darien's voice was harsh. "Snap out of it."  
  
Serena looked up with tired eyes. "They're dead, Darien. They're dead." Her voice cracked. And she began weeping openly, the tears freezing into perfect crystals on her pale face. "They're dead."  
  
"I know," Darien whispered. "I know. But see who is alive. Your bother is alive, and he's not paralyzed after all. All of your friends are alive. Most of your cousins and aunts and uncles are alive. Many survived in spite of Beryl's and Demando's insanity."  
  
But Serena did not heed him, and she continued whispering, "They're dead, they're dead," over and over. Sighing, Darien gestured into the shadows.  
  
Amy came into view. "Come on, Serena," she whispered. "We have to go back."  
  
"I know, Amy," Serena sighed, slowly turning back to normal. "I know. I understand. It's just ."  
  
"You've been through a lot of trauma," Amy comforted. "But we'll always be here for you. Always."  
  
"Always," Darien repeated.  
  
Serena smiled sadly and the three walked into the car.  
  
On the rooftop, two unseen shadows were seen. The female one whispered, "And they who art Artemis's Angels shall appear, and lo! Unto us, the one who nameth the Angels among her friends shall come, and behold! She is the ancient goddess called Artemis. And thou shalt worship her and praise her, and she shall reward thee, but most of al, she shall give thee her love and friendship, and she shall bless thee and thy posterity and all of thine, and thus shall the world live in peace. Thus did the Great Sybil of the Roman Empire prophesy it, and thus shall it come to be. Live long, Goddess."  
  
"Live long," the man echoed.  
  
"And be safe in the care of your Angels."  
  
"Be safe," the man echoed.  
  
"And may your life be blessed," both finished.  
  
"By, Serena," a figure now seen as Luna, shopkeeper of ~ROSES FOR ALL OCCASIONS~ now dressed in a charming white dress, said.  
  
Beside her, Artemis, dressed in a long white robed nodded and together, they flew off into the moonrise.  
  
And the moon rose and set. And Christmas came. And slowly, Serena pulled out of her depression. And slowly, she became filled with joy, and her blinding beauty of goodness charmed all about her. But the heritage of Artemis she did not accept, and the rejection tore her life until she grew mad. And so, in the end, she became but another Sybil, prophesying the return of the true Artemis, one by the name of Usagi .  
  
The End  
  
I only added the last, because I thought some people might appreciate it. And no, I am not writing a sequel if anyone is interested. You just have to use your imagination . 


End file.
